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I used to be really into bonsai. Gardening and forestry related stuff for that matter. I had a few trees, but they all eventually died. I started with lots of nursery stock as a simple and inexpensive way to practice. Ficus were, and still are, some of my favorite trees for a simple way to have a faux-bonsai.

If you don’t know too much about bonsai, it takes a lot of constant, continuous, consistent work. Bonsai are like having pets, in that they need daily treatment. If they’re neglected, they die. If they are not cared for properly, they die. It’s a beautiful creation and dedication, but I decided a long time ago that it wasn’t for me, since I’m so erratic. Whenever I would go away for a few days and have someone care for my trees, they just didn’t get what I had tried to explain to them, and they were improperly watered, and they died.

There are a number of indoor trees that can be kept in a more normal house plant manner, and can be shaped and manipulated into beautiful forms. Ficus, as mentioned by Salty, is one, and rosemary is another great one. But be careful about snipping too much off the rosemary bush – I’ve had one for a couple of years, and I keep it teetering on the edge because I use it for cooking too much.

I still have a really nice set of Japanese Bonsai pruning tools that I got from New England Bonsai in southern MA. Now that I know more about Japanese metal working, I appreciate them more than I ever did.

But after saying all that, I would not want to discourage someone from trying it. Just know that there’s a lot to learn, and they require a lot of very specific, special care. Everyday.

There are many, many trees that can be used for bonsai,a nd I think some of the more unusal ones are some of the most unique.

Bit yet again I agree w/ Salty, in that azealas are some of the best. And yeah, if you invest in good quality nursery stock, you’ll have a better tree to work with. Just be sure you know what you’re doing before taking that leap.

My parents own a bonsai nursery in Hawai`i. As many of the traditional plants for bonsai are hard to keep alive in a container, their niche is indoor bonsai - easy care houseplants and trained in the bonsai manner. Schefflera, ficus, etc. Some are planted in a lava rock and others are in pots, and since they don't use soil (sterile potting mix), they can ship them all over the world. I hope it won't be a problem for me to just post a link here since it's on topic. http://fukubonsai.com/ Fuku is the first half of our lastname, pronounced "foo-koo". The website is a little bit utilitarian, but my dad builds it himself.